Red Lion Hotel - Banbury, United Kingdom 

We visited this lovely pub/hotel for a family get together for my Uncle's 70th birthday. We had pre-booked private dining for 13 of us and a number of rooms. Check in was quick and easy and we were very quickly made to feel welcome. After heading up the narrow staircase to our room (well it is an old building and our elderly relatives managed it fine so it was only character adding!), we were greeted with a well kept, well presented room with fluffy towels (not always available in 4* hotels - trust me, I work in one!) and very comfy beds. We made our way to the bar where the log fire was burning brightly. Service was very friendly and more than I would expect from such a place. Our private meal was lovely and we were generally looked after very well indeed. In fact, I had recently had an operation on my nose and the team went over and above their call of duty to help me out with extra needs! They were even happy for us to decorate and generally make a total mess of the private dining room! The ONLY complaint for the whole of my stay? My steak was cooked well done instead of medium. But don't get me wrong - the steak was still good! Breakfast the next day was fairly basic but again more than I had expected. A good range of cereals, fresh fruits, meats, cheese, and pastries was available as well as a full English, or a couple of other fishy options. We were even offered a second full english!!! No chance of that because it was very filling indeed! And very tasty! As someone who works in the industry and the last person you'd want to eat out with, I'd just like to emphasise how easy it can be to make mistakes on orders, and how sometimes the little things can go wrong. The skill is how they are dealt with at the time! Whilst checking out, I asked to see the Manager (I wanted to say thanks). Unfortunately he is on his holidays but it is a true testiment to the rest of the team that they can operate so well in his absence. For ?75 B&B for a twin, we all found this to be exceptional value for money and would definately return.

Have stayed here twice now. Nice pub with accommodation in a village outside Banbury. Rooms are ok, but getting to them is not easy - up a steep narrow set of winding stairs! Our room this time was on two levels, with the bathroom upstairs..a sort of mezzanine arrangement. Not much privacy from the person you are sharing the room with! The door up to the rooms from the bar is alarmed after midnight until breakfast, presumably to stop people nipping down for a sly pint after hours. Don't know what this means if you are coming in after 12 from a party or something, or if you want to leave early. Finally, on both occasions when we have stayed, our breakfast order has been wrong. All small points I accept, but when I'm paying close to £100 a night, I expect better.